Gladius

The Gladius is an artificial demon created by Agnus through magically cross-breeding a sword with a reptile. It is capable of flight, and can transform its entire body into a bladed weapon able to be wielded by others. If damaged, it will drop to the ground in its weapon form, where it can be picked up and thrown at a locked-on enemy using Nero's Buster. Agnus wields Gladii both in his human and Angelo Agnus forms, and his own Buster moment involves being impaled with the demons. Unlike the Cutlass and the Basilisk, Agnus must consume a small amount of his vitality in order to summon these demons, although he is still capable of summoning even if he does not have the required vitality to do so. Wielding Gladii is the most effective method of damaging the glass in the Containment Room, although gunfire may also be used.

Strategy
Gladii move all around constantly trying to hit you. It is optimal to dodge these attacks, as when they miss attacking you, they often get stuck to the ground for a decent amount of time for you to deal damage or use a Buster. Nero should be able to catch them easily by using Snatch. Dante can deal with them by firing his ranged weapons, the simplest way is to combine using Coyote-A's charged shot and Trickster. Using Flush of Gilgamesh to deal extra damage while jumping near the Gladii is also an option. Pandora's bowgun, bazooka, and laser attacks are not recommended since Gladii will usually dodge these slow attacks.

Background
Gladius is a type of Roman sword.